[Comparative study of 2 assay methods for serum isoniazid in 413 patients: microbiological method and high performance liquid chromatography].

Serum INH was assayed by 2 techniques over 4 years in 413 patients following the administration of a single test dose of 300 mg of isoniazid. The microbiological method measures the inhibitory activity of the serum on the growth of mycobacteria. The pharmacological method consists of high performance liquid chromatography with ultra-violet detection (HPLC). The mean difference in the assays performed by the 2 methods in each subject was 0.061 mcg/ml and the global correlation between the 2 assays was 0.76. Liquid chromatography also allows the simultaneous assay of acetyl INH. Thirty-three per cent of the subjects who received a test dose of 300 mg of INH had a serum INH concentration of between 1 and 2 mcg/ml at the third hour. This study therefore confirms the usefulness of a pre-treatment assay of INH and the good correlation of the results obtained with the 2 methods.